Argumentum Ad baculum
From WikiIslam
Contents |
[edit] Description
Argumentum ad baculum (Latin: argument to the cudgel or appeal to the stick), also known as appeal to force, is an argument where force, coercion, or the threat of force, is given as a justification for a conclusion. It is a specific case of the negative form of an argument to the consequences.
[edit] As a logical argument
A fallacious logical argument based on argumentum ad baculum generally has the following argument form:
- If X does not accept P as true, then Q
- Q is a punishment on X
- Therefore, P is true
In other words, This is right because if you do not believe it, you will be beaten up (i.e. convert or die).
This form of argument is an informal fallacy, because the attack Q may not necessarily reveal anything about the truth value of the premise P. This fallacy has been identified since the Middle Ages by many philosophers. This is a special case of argumentum ad consequentiam, or "appeal to consequences".
[edit] As a non-logical argument
A similar but non-logical argument has roughly the following form:
- If X does not accept P as true, then Q
- Q is a punishment on X
- Therefore, X should accept P to avoid Q
This is not a logical argument, but a rhetorical one. The truth of the conclusion, which addresses the benefit of a course of action, cannot be determined from the truth of the premises. Logic does not address subjective concepts such as practicality or ethics.
